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War of Chavoy
The War of Chavoy, also known as the Leitner Consolidation, was a conflict that occurred from 632—635 within the Kingdom of Austeria, under the fragile rule of King Reginald II. The conflict was waged between House von Leitner and House Devereux over the shattered Duchy of Chavoy, south of Auvergnon and west of Etranon. The prelude to this conflict is marked as the beginning of Austeria's decline into chaos, which would coalesce in the civil wars that followed. "They will all come for Chavoy, and they will all fall in Chavoy." (Adrienne Devereux) History Chavoy, once the bread and butter of Auvergnon's wealth, was decimated by the Scourge. The damage was so thorough that it reached even the House d'Chauveau, running its course through the family in a matter of months. By 628, the Madame Adeliz Delafose was the only recognizably living heiress — though she was a child and in Louze, and thus Chavoy remained without a legitimate ruler for a year as the plague died down. By the time she arrived via the escort of her husband, Hamelin Delafose, Chavoy had already been subjected to severe, unrecorded change. In the place of their distant and child Duchess, the regency council had descended into violence a year prior wherein mercenaries were employed. After months of infighting, the mercenaries betrayed the council and seized control for themselves, establishing the warlord Jean Jeannin as their commander. This was coupled with a series of peasants riots which put the majority of the mercantile class to the sword or into exile brought Chavoy into complete disarray. When the Delafose arrived, they were ambushed; Adeliz was captured, her husband fled into the country. After this, Jean Jeannin exploited Chavoy unopposed for years. Outbreak of War When Hamelin Delafose resurfaced at the Capitol seeking royal charges on Jean Jeannin, he brought with him evidence of a connection between the warlord and the Devereux of Casteljaloux. Reginald II granted him only justification for war against Jeannin, but Delafose was quickly propositioned by Reinhold von Leitner, who offered him the men needed to pursue vengeance. In months, the two brought an army to Chavoy and launched their invasion. Jeannin, whose own forces were in disarray due to civil unrest, attrition and disease, failed to stop them. The war had begun. The Siege of Bouan marked the seemingly swift end to a short war, with an unopposed string of Leitner victories and the execution of Jeannin. Hamelin Delafose claimed Chavoy as his and the Leitner army receded. Soon thereafter, the new Duke was ambushed and nearly slain by the Leaden Band, who capitalized the weakness of Chavoy and revealed their captive — Adeliz Delafose, the true heiress. Led by Alfonso Vilesq, the Adrienne Devereux openly revealed her intervention by declaring "for" the heiress, while financing the second mercenary invasion of Chavoy. The Leitner forces tried to retaliate, but too were ambushed by a Devereux army led by Andriet Dubos in the Battle of Affame-Coteaux. The Devereux re-established control of the region by 634. Reinhold von Leitner's attempt to employ the Argent Company later that year failed when the Devereux fleet, captained by Alexandre Devereux, intercepted the company, forcing it to route and break contract. By 635, Adrienne Devereux had secured support for her dominion in Chavoy with Agobard Borleauman. Reinhold, on the other hand, had to deplete a contingency of men from the Versau city watch — a motion that strictly decreased his popularity, while Hamelin rallied his father's banners in Marsolan. Chavoy was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain, however, with pockets of empowered peasant rebellions, increased religious violence caused by Leitner-sponsored Pantheonite missions, and a renewed outbreak of the Scourge. This all coalesced into the Delafose Conference, directly preluding the Battle of Lasseforet which was a pyrrhic Leitner victory. After the Leaden Band's surrender and the death of both Delafose, Adrienne appealed to the Crown to settle the dispute of succession. Reinhold, whose influence was waned at the capital, feared the consequences of an imposed ceasefire and marched on Casteljaloux in the fortnight. Anti-Borleauman influences in the capital (publicly House Harlowe and House Pressleye) took the side of House von Leitner, politically isolating Adrienne at court. The Devereux matriarch was assassinated almost immediately thereafter at the hands of Alfonso Vilesq, and Casteljaloux surrendered. With Jeannin, Delafose and the Devereux dead, the war wound to a firm and grinding halt. Aftermath With the county in tow, Reginald's council both feared the Leitner expansion but also risked dissent after the removal of Nicolas von Leitner, and, so as to placate, turned a blind eye to the war's conclusion. This is one of many acts made by the Crown that vastly frustrated Agobard Borleauman, who felt that his vassal and ally had been unrightfully invaded and murdered, but was not granted reprieve or even claim against the Leitner. Meanwhile, Reinhold von Leitner had, though at great cost, loosely annexed the Duchy of Chavoy and County of Casteljaloux, incurring the collective anger of the northern Florian lords. The Leitner consolidation of power by the end of the war had been massive, if albeit temporary, and easily produced a territorial hegemon in the heartlands of Brivaea, but Chavoy was nevertheless riddled with civil and religious strife, plague notwithstanding. The land, now devastated from years of scourge and war, would prove difficult to tame.